The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-04-14
PAPER MACHE.
Description of It's Manufacture, and Some
of Its Numerous Uses.

Description of It's Manufacture, and Some |
of Its Numerous Uses.
The manufacture of papier mache |
Qiterally, 'chewed paper'') forms an
important branch of the paper indus
try. Who does not remember those
proiectiles of our school days which we
called '.spit-balls," and which when
thrown at wall or ceiling adhered
thereto with tenacity? What was most
striking about these balls was their
extraordinary hardness after they be-
come thoroughly dry, this being the
more marked in proportion as the chew
ing had been more perfect.
1t was through observing such hard
ness that the idea occurred to some one
to employ paper pulp in the manufact-
ure of various objects. Yet the sub
stance employed in the industry is not
a ''mashed" paper in the absolute sense
of the word, but is a paper converted
into soft cardboard by mechanical
processes.
In the manufacture of papier mache,
the raw material used is bluish-gray.
unsized, strong, fne-grained paper.
The sheets may be compared (white-
ness, which is of no account, being ex-
cepteD to Annonay photographic paper.
Cotton forms the basis of it.
These sheets are pasted together by
means of layer of dextrine or starch,
| applied with steel spatula. When
the desired thickness has been obtained,
the mass is put into hydraulic press
that operates in highly heated drying
room. Under the immense pressure of
this apparatus there forms solid block,
which is as hard as lockwood or ebony,
and which is perfectly plane or has the
form of the mold in which the raw mate
rial, so ductile when moist and so hard
when dry. was compressed. 1t can be
nodded into any shape whatever, that
of table legs, chair arms, rose-work,
holdings, etc.
This sort of wood, without pores, sap,
fibers and knots, is capable of being
worked with the saw. the gouge, the
rasp and the lathe. 1t can be polished,
if need be, although this operation is
reserved for the thick black varnish
that is applied to it in. several coats
with an intervening stay of night in a
very hot, air-heated drying room. When
it comes from the latter the varnish is
very hard, and is free from blisters and
cracks. 1t is possible that many of the
objects that are offered to us as being
finished with Japan or Chinese lacquer
are merely impregnated and covered
with mixture of gum eopal, bitumen.
tar, resin and other hydrocarbons inn
pregnated with lamp-black and color
in certain proportions.
The baking is the important point.
When this operation has been too greatly
, prolonged, the varnish scales off and
cracks; and when it has not been car
ried to a sufficient extent. the surface
, remains sticky. It is not necessary,
J then, to exceed certain temperature,
always higher than one hundred de-
: grees.
This nodded and pressed paper can
) be easily turned in the lathe, and made
: into light and indestructible balls and
beads, or be fashioned into ink-stands,
| caskets and cylinders.
3 It is from this substance that are man
ufactured all those bracelets of large
: black beads studded with Scotch imita
1 ton diamonds, all those necklaces, pins
t clasps and trinkets of all sorts that are
t taken for pitch coal or some preciou.
r wood. Again, those handsome brace
a lets composed of semi-lucid and opalint
globules that seem to have been cut ou
of a stone formed of concentric layers
like certain precious stones, are merel,
9 of papier mache, cemented with whit
t varnish and coated with the same. So
: too, those beautiful nacreous, painte,
/ and gilded trays, round tables, ant
|, caskets that are known as Japanes
), work are merely papier mache. TIL
Q Japanese know but one kind of gliding
g while we have two--the dead and tn
e brilliant We have, likewise, liqui'
q nacre taken from the scales of the white
a bait that well initiates the white curran
d and certain transparent berries. Th
o nacre is solidly inlaid by means of th
d hydraulic press, and finally the szlrfac
l. is finished with pumice stone in order
l. make itperfectly even, and covered wit
l. colorless varnish of the first quality
n Bulletin des Fabrica'sts de Papier.